Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 546W, on trade unions, what the estimated cost to the public purse of the provision of facilities for the exclusive use of trade unions was in each of the last three years.

Nick Harvey: The estimated cost of the facilities was around £46,000 in each of the last three years.

Trade Unions: Political Levy

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 64W, on the political levy, if he will amend the staff handbook for House of Commons staff to inform them of their right to opt out of the political levies operated by those recognised trade unions which have a political fund.

Nick Harvey: Yes.

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department were recorded as having been on sick leave for over 12 months on 31 December in each of the last five years.

Paul Murphy: Records for sickness absence are only available from April 2004.
	The Wales Office is a small Department with less than 60 staff and therefore has had a very small number of staff on long term sick. In line with Cabinet Office guidance, we are unable to answer this question figuratively. This is in order to protect the privacy of individuals.

Agriculture: Subsidies

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what expenditure is funded under EU budget line 05 02 08 10, Free Distribution of Fruits and Vegetables; which UK bodies received support under this line in 2008; and whether disbursements have been made from this budget line to  (a) political bodies and  (b) trades unions.

Jane Kennedy: There have been no expenditure funded under EU budget line 05 02 08 10 in 2008.

Food

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the value of food  (a) spoiled and  (b) disposed of in each of the last six years.

Jane Kennedy: Data is not available for the value of food spoiled and disposed of in each of the last six years.
	However, WRAP undertook research in 2007 to quantify the amounts and types of household food waste produced in the UK.
	According to research conducted in 2007, the estimated total annual cost of household food waste (avoidable and unavoidable) is £14.4 billion per year. The estimated annual cost of avoidable household food waste is £10.2 billion.

Bed-and-Breakfast Accommodation: Young People

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many children under 16 years are living in bed-and-breakfast accommodation; and what steps are being taken to reduce that number.

Iain Wright: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level. Data collected includes the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	Information on the number of dependent children (and expected children) in bed-and-breakfast style temporary accommodation (i.e. bed-and-breakfast hotels and other privately managed shared facility annexes) is reported quarterly by local authorities as at the last day of each quarter. This figure includes all children under 16 years old, and dependent children aged 16 to 18. On the 30 September 2008, there were an estimated 1,570 dependent children in bed-and-breakfast style temporary accommodation.
	We have taken action to tackle the worst aspects of temporary accommodation use—families with children who were placed in cramped bed-and-breakfast accommodation for long periods of time. The effect of the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2003, which came into force on 1 April 2004, is that local authorities are no longer able to discharge their homelessness duty to secure suitable accommodation by placing households that include children or a pregnant woman in bed-and-breakfast accommodation except as a last resort and then for no longer than six weeks.
	Furthermore, in 2005, we announced a target of reducing the number of households in temporary accommodation under the homelessness legislation. Following 12 consecutive quarters of decreases, the figure had fallen to 72,130 by the end of September 2008, and around 40 per cent. of local authorities have already met the target to halve the number of households in temporary accommodation by 2010.
	We have provided over £200 million of homelessness funding to local authorities and the voluntary sector, to help them carry out this work.

Eco-Towns

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department has spent on  (a) publicity,  (b) public consultation and  (c) legal costs on eco-town policy since 23 July 2007, identifying separately in each case expenditure on (i) consultants, (ii) support for non-governmental organisations and (iii) consultation materials and exhibitions.

Margaret Beckett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 108W. This sets out details of spending on the eco-towns programme, including publicity, public consultation and consultant costs.

Eco-Towns

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will estimate the amount of time spent by officials in her Department on the eco-town project since the publication of the eco-town prospectus on 23 July 2007; and how many officials in her Department are currently working on the project.

Margaret Beckett: In common with the normal practice of the Department, we do not keep a record of time spent on specific policies and projects, so it is not possible to provide an estimate of official time spent on the eco-towns project since 23 July 2007. Currently nine officials are part of the eco-towns team, but there are also a number of other officials across the Department that contribute to the project, including those working in the areas of planning and climate change.

Lobbying

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1697-98W, on Lord Truscott, what information was given to Lord Taylor by her Department following his request for information on Newark as a growth point and related planning cases.

Sadiq Khan: Baroness Andrews wrote to Lord Taylor in July 2008, giving him a factual update on recent planning proposals and growth point funding for Newark on Trent. All the information was in the public domain. She also informed him that the Government office for the east midlands had been asked to comment on an "Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report" for a proposed urban extension to the south of Newark, but had declined to comment—as to have done otherwise might have been seen to have prejudiced the Secretary of State's quasi-judicial role in the event that an application is referred to her for a decision in the future.

Refuges: Domestic Violence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make an assessment of the  (a) geographical distribution,  (b) quality and  (c) effectiveness of (i) refuges for victims of domestic violence and (ii) services for victims of rape in England; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: There is a range of support for survivors of domestic abuse. The homelessness legislation provides a safety net for survivors and some will be accommodated in refuges, but Sanctuary Schemes and mainstream local authority accommodation may be an option for others, while some survivors will pursue independent solutions with help and advice from support schemes as necessary.
	The Department has recently commissioned new research that will identify the current housing options available to households at risk of domestic abuse, and to assess whether this provision meets current need across England. It will involve establishing the extent and type of temporary and settled accommodation (including refuges) available for households who have experienced or are at risk of domestic abuse in England, including the provision of housing related support services.
	The Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) was introduced in 2003 and sets out the standards expected in the delivery of housing-related support services, including domestic abuse refuges (funded through the Supporting People programme). Its purpose is to drive up quality standards across the sector and to ensure that services evolve to meet the changing needs and aspirations of clients.
	It has been one of the major successes of the Supporting People programme. The majority of administering authorities continue to use the QAF today and there is also evidence that other areas across authorities, such as adult social care, are also adopting the QAF as the standard tool to measure the quality of services being delivered.
	A national Supporting People Outcomes Framework was launched in summer 2007. The framework monitors the outcomes delivered by housing-related support services, including domestic abuse refuges, across England for a wide range of client groups.
	The Government are rolling out sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) and independent sexual violence advisers (ISVAs) across the country to support victims of rape. There are currently 27 SARCs and distribution is recorded by the Home Office. The Home Secretary has made a commitment to have one in each police force area by 2011. A method of assessing quality and effectiveness is currently being developed by the Department of Health. There are currently 36 ISVAs and there is a Government commitment to ensure all victims have access to an ISVA by 2011. Distribution of ISVAs is recorded by the Home Office and quality and effectiveness is currently assessed by regional Government offices.
	Central Government do not collect information in respect of voluntary sector services for victims of rape.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Peacekeeping Operations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to help strengthen the MONUC force in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Caroline Flint: We fully support UN efforts to strengthen its peacekeeping Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC). The UK was a co-sponsor of UN Security Council Resolution 1843, which allowed MONUC's strength to be increased by over 3000.
	Since the adoption of that Resolution, we have lobbied potential troop contributing countries and led calls for the reinforcement to take place as soon as possible. The UK has identified ways in which it could lend support to MONUC, including through secondment of a small number of appropriately skilled individuals to fill key vacant posts on the MONUC staff, including the post of Deputy Force Commander.

Departmental Correspondence

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) letters and  (b) e-mails received by his Department had not been responded to as at 15 December 2008.

Caroline Flint: Only correspondence received by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministerial Support Unit (MSU) is logged centrally. To ask every department or overseas post within the FCO how many letters and e-mails had not been responded to by a particular date would incur a disproportionate cost.
	MSU records are maintained on a rolling basis so it is not possible to identify how many pieces of correspondence had not been responded to as of 15 December 2008. Furthermore, we do not differentiate between types of correspondence so are unable to break down our response into the number of letters or e-mails we receive. However, I can confirm that, in-line with Cabinet Office guidance, of the 10,334 letters received from hon. Members in 2008, 87 per cent. were answered within 20 working days and of the 73,048 letters received from members of the public, 91 per cent. were answered within 20 working days.

Departmental Public Expenditure

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 23 June 2008,  Official Report, column 75W, on departmental public expenditure, what his Department's forecast  (a) net euro and  (b) net US dollar exposure for the financial years (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09 was; and what revisions were made to those forecasts in light of foreign exchange movements.

David Miliband: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) forecasted net euro and net US dollar exposure as follows:
	(i) The FCO's net euro and US dollar exposure in 2007-08 was:
	 (a) Euro: €274 million
	 (b) US dollar: $917 million.
	During this year all foreign currency requirements were met through making separate "spot" deals for each individual invoice, subscription payment or funds transfer to cover running costs at overseas posts. Variations from budget estimates caused by exchange rate fluctuations were compensated by the Treasury's Overseas Price Movements mechanism, and no central forecast of foreign currency requirements was made.
	(ii) The forecast net euro and US dollar exposure for 2008-09 was:
	 (a) Euro: €180 million
	 (b) US dollars: $767 million.
	This comprised our commitments for subscriptions to international organisations and UN peacekeeping missions and overseas posts' estimates of the sums required for their running and other costs given at the beginning of the financial year.
	Following approval from HM Treasury to forward purchase this exposure, contracts were placed with the Bank of England for the period July 2008 to March 2009. We agreed these would be limited to 80 per cent. of the total, in recognition of the possibilities that estimates might not be completely accurate, and/or that due to the weakness of sterling, the full amounts might not be affordable.
	In total, the following amounts were forward purchased for the period July 2008 to March 2009:
	 (a) Euro: €102 million
	 (b) US dollars: $559 million.
	In the light of exchange rate movements, the budgets for 2008-09 needed to be revised as follows:
	(a) HM Treasury were asked for an additional £5 million towards International Subscriptions.
	(b) We identified that across all currencies a further £90 million would be needed by budget holders from within the FCO's own resources in order to maintain the purchasing power for overseas posts and pay additional peacekeeping costs.

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1794W, what the  (a) duration and  (b) cost was of the training he received; and which organisations supplied the training.

Caroline Flint: Since June 2007, £6,700 has been spent on training for my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on the presentation of foreign policy issues, and £85 on IT training.

Group of Twenty: London Summit

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many unique visitors the website www.londonsummit.gov.uk has received.

Caroline Flint: The London Summit website received 74,922 unique visitors between 29 January 2009, the day the site went live, and 23 February 2009, the day before this response was prepared.

Guantanamo Bay: Detainees

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates the US authorities acceded to his request to return Guantánamo Bay detainee Mr. Binyam Mohamed to the UK; and what form the communication of this decision took.

David Miliband: Over the last 18 months we have worked long and hard to secure Mr. Binyam Mohamed's release from Guantanamo Bay and return to the UK. After Military Commission charges against Mr. Mohamed were dropped in October 2008, we held a series of positive discussions with the US on the principle of his return.
	President Obama's Executive Order of 22 January 2009 required a case-by-case assessment of all those detained at Guantanamo Bay. The new US Administration agreed to our request that Mr. Mohamed's case should be treated as a priority in this process. We concluded a written transfer arrangement for Mr. Mohamed's release and return on 20 February 2009, leading to his return to the UK on 23 February 2009.

Iran: Baha'i Faith

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the arrest and charge of seven members of the Baha'i leadership in Iran on 11 February 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: We have received several worrying reports confirming that the seven leading members of the Iranian Baha'i community have been charged with spying for Israel, "insulting religious sanctities" and "propaganda against the Islamic Republic"—charges which could carry the death penalty. We are concerned about the conditions under which they are being detained and that they have been systematically refused access to their lawyer. Reports suggest that the seven individuals are due to face trial in the coming weeks.
	We are monitoring the situation closely and have called for Iran to allow independent observation of the judicial proceedings and to reconsider the charges brought against these individuals.

Iran: Baha'i Faith

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Iranian authorities to allow independent observers to be present at any trial of the seven members of the Baha'i leadership in Iran charged on 11 February 2009.

Caroline Flint: We have called repeatedly for the Iranian government to release the seven leading members of the Iranian Baha'i community. Having been held for so long without due process, we are concerned that they may not receive a fair trial now that they have been formally charged.
	My hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Bill Rammell, issued a statement on 16 February 2009, which was backed by an EU statement on 17 February 2009, expressing our concern and calling for the Iranian government to ensure that their trial is fair and to allow independent observation of the judicial proceedings. The statement may be found at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/
	We urge Iran to respect and protect its religious minorities and free all prisoners held due to their faith or religious practice.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of whether any of the weaponry or component parts thereof being used by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza has been manufactured in the UK or exported by a UK-registered company

Bill Rammell: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said in his statement to the House on 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 21:
	"No arms exports are granted where there is a clear risk that those arms could be used for internal repression or external aggression, and that is surveyed very closely. Also, we have no evidence of any of the exports that he has pointed to being used in this operation."

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the oral statement of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 21-38, on Gaza, what consideration he has given to referring the allegations made on the conduct of both sides to the International Criminal Court.

Bill Rammell: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary told the House on 19 January 2009,  Official Repor t, column 501:
	"allegations must be closely and speedily investigated.
	Obviously, the three key parties to that investigation are the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the government of Israel, and we are in touch with all of them."

Sri Lanka: EU Action

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the Prime Minister's discussion with his EU counterparts on proposals to call for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

Caroline Flint: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column 739W. In a statement of 23 February 2009, EU Foreign Ministers called for an immediate ceasefire. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary issued a joint statement with the US Secretary of State on 3 February 2009, calling for a temporary no-fire period. Copies of both statements will be placed in the Library of the House.
	The UK remains committed to working with the Government of Sri Lanka and international partners to secure a lasting solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka.

Torture

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what factors his Department takes into account when making decisions on requests formally to espouse a legal claim of torture.

Caroline Flint: Where the Government consider that another government is responsible under international law for an injury to a UK national, it may in certain circumstances take over and formally espouse a claim against that government. Before that stage is reached the claimants should have made all possible effort to secure settlement of the claim through local or other legal remedies, if such remedies exist.
	Any individual request would be considered on a case by case basis. On receipt of such a request, the Government would consider what factors may be relevant at that time.

Uganda: Peace Negotiations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in peace talks with the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) in Northern Uganda, including talks with those who have recently defected from the LRA.

Caroline Flint: The Juba peace talks between the government of Uganda and the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) resulted in a negotiated Final Peace Agreement (FPA) initialled and agreed by the government of Uganda and LRA negotiating teams. The agreement was originally due for signature in early April 2008 by President Museveni of Uganda and Joseph Kony, the leader of the LRA, in Juba, Southern Sudan. Mr. Kony refused to attend the signing ceremony on that occasion and failed to honour further commitments to sign the agreement at a later date. The government of Uganda in co-operation with the governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Southern Sudan subsequently initiated military action against the LRA on 14 December 2008.
	The FPA includes provision for reconciliation and the reintegration into Ugandan society of LRA defectors. The government of Uganda has publicly stated that it is committed to honouring those commitments even in the absence of a signed FPA.

Written Questions: Government Responses

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to answer Question 242200, tabled on 5 December 2008, on Georgia.

David Miliband: This question was answered on 12 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2202W. The delay in answering was due to administrative error.

Written Questions: Government Responses

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to answer Question 246281, tabled on 17 December 2008, on the reorganisation of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

David Miliband: This question was answered on 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 373W. I apologise for the delay in replying.

Zimbabwe: Human Rights

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 25 February 2009
	We continue to have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, not least the on-going detention of political prisoners, credible reports of torture in custody and continuing suppression of peaceful protests.
	The international community has agreed clear conditions for substantive re-engagement with Zimbabwe, including respect for human rights and the rule of law.
	Initial indications of the new government's commitment to respect for human rights and the rule of law include the release of political detainees. We will continue to monitor the situation on the ground closely.

Zimbabwe: Political Prisoners

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of political prisoners detained in Zimbabwe.

David Miliband: We understand there are roughly 30 to 40 political detainees in Zimbabwe. As I said in my press release of 11 February 2009, the release of all political detainees, and the rule of law more broadly, will be one of the conditions for sustained development support for the new government.
	The press release may be found at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/

Civil Servants: Pay

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many bonus payments were made to  (a) senior civil servants and  (b) other staff in the (i) HM Courts Service, (ii) HM Prison Service, (iii) National Offender Management Service and (iv) Youth Justice Board in the last 12 months.

Jack Straw: The information requested is as follows:
	(i)  HM Courts Service
	Across the MoJ, end year non-consolidated performance payments are paid to high performing members of the senior civil service (SCS) to reflect their individual contribution during the pervious performance year. During the last 12 months, 35 members of the SCS in HMCS were paid non-consolidated performance pay for performance during the 2007-08 performance year.
	Payments of non-consolidated performance pay to staff below the SCS may be either "end of year" payments or "in year" payments.
	"End of year" payments of non-consolidated performance pay are made as part of the annual pay award to staff who have performed at a level beyond that which would normally be expected throughout the performance year. 1,676 staff in HMCS (including Ministry of Justice HQ and the Tribunals Service) received end of year non-consolidated performance payments in the last 12 months. Payments were made in August 2008 at the time of the implementation of the 2008 pay award for performance during the 2007-08 performance year.
	"In year" payments of non-consolidated performance pay are one-off payments to staff who have made an exceptional contribution on specific occasions. It is not possible to provide details of these payments made to staff in HMCS in the last 12 months, as distinct from those working in other parts of the Ministry of Justice, other than at a disproportionate cost. However, during the financial year 2007-08, 5,327 staff in HMCS (including MoJ HQ and the Tribunals Service) received "in year" non-consolidated performance pay.
	(ii)  HM Prison Service
	Since 1 April 2008 Her Majesty's Prison Service and the National Probation Service have been part of the National Offender Management Service.
	Details of the number of awards of non-consolidated performance pay to staff in HM Prisons service is available for the calendar year 2008. This is the most up-to-date data available without incurring disproportionate cost. During 2008, 29 members of the SCS received non-consolidated performance pay. In grades below the SCS 6,587 staff received non-consolidated performance pay during this period.
	In the National Probation Service during the last 12 months, payments of non-consolidated performance pay were made to the chief executives of the six Probation Trusts. These exceptional payments were made to recognise work involved from April 2007 to April 2008 in preparation for trust status.
	(iii)  National Offender Management Service
	The National Offender Management Service was established as an agency on 1 April 2008. The NOMS agency consists of HM Prison Service and the National Probation Service. The information contained in (ii) above covers both parts of the NOMS Agency.
	(iv)  Youth Justice Board
	In the 12 months to the 31st January 2009, the Youth Justice Board paid one member of the SCS non-consolidated performance pay. Thirty-five members of staff received "in year" non-consolidated performance pay. Twenty-one members of staff received "end of year" non-consolidated performance pay.

Coroners and Justice Bill 2008-09

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department will take if the Sentencing Council for England and Wales advises that there are insufficient resources to allow for the full implementation of an aspect of legislation, as provided for under the terms of clause 110 of the Coroners and Justice Bill, following the enactment of subsequent legislation.

Maria Eagle: The provisions in the Coroners and Justice Bill propose that a sentencing council will have a duty to monitor the impact of sentencing guidelines and to make assessments of the impact of Government proposals referred to it by the Lord Chancellor on prison, probation and youth justice services.
	The proposed duties on the council in clauses 110 and 114 of the Bill are to make an assessment of the impact of guidelines or legislation, not to advise whether it is affordable. While it is proposed that the council will provide the Government with impact assessments it also proposed that it will remain the case that the Government alone are responsible for the way in which money voted by Parliament is spent and for making arrangements for the commencement of legislative provisions.

Crime: Economic Situation

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has any plans to provide additional resources to  (a) the police,  (b) the courts,  (c) the probation service and  (d) prisons as a consequence of any changes to the level of crime during 2010 and 2011 resulting from the recession.

Maria Eagle: I refer the right hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor's reply on 3 February 2009,  Official Report , column 1166W. There are no plans to increase the Department's budget, which was agreed in the comprehensive spending review 2007. Forecasts of demand for services have been taken into account when agreeing allocations to business groups for 2009-10, and there are no plans to provide additional resources for this year. Forecasts of demand will again be taken into account when agreeing financial allocations to departmental business groups for 2010-11, but these have not yet been agreed. The Department has set up a Performance and Efficiency programme to deliver ways of working more efficiently in order to deliver our objectives from within existing budgets. Police funding is the responsibility of the Home Office and not the Ministry of Justice.

Departmental Furniture

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many items of furniture  (a) were purchased and  (b) remained in use following the refurbishment of 102 Petty France.

Jack Straw: Phase 1 of the London Accommodation Programme (LAP) rationalised a number of MOJ buildings:
	Selborne I louse (1,209 staff)
	Abbey Orchard Street (353 staff)(1)
	Steel House (221 staff)
	together with a further six London locations, affecting an additional 330 staff. This has resulted in 2,113 staff moving into the refurbished 102 Petty France.
	(1 )Abbey Orchard Street was released fully furnished to Legal Services Commission
	The original design capacity of the refurbished 102 Petty France was for 2,275 desks. Through the introduction of flexible workspace arrangements—moving
	from a 1:1 to an 80 per cent. average desk allocation and utilising 1600mm workstations—by August 2009. 102 Petty France will be able to accommodate approximately 3,300 staff. This will enable MoJ to reduce further the number of buildings it occupies. The projected savings from this estate rationalisation are approximately £10 million per year.
	An early review of existing furniture in the affected offices identified three broad categories:
	suitable for re-use within 102 Petty France:
	suitable for re-use within MoJ and other Government departments;
	furniture at the end of life and/or requiring refurbishment.
	Damaged or unsuitable furniture has been disposed of via Greenworks—a not-for-profit enterprise—who will refurbish and distribute to charities, schools or small businesses.
	This "cascade" policy has resulted in a zero landfill outcome. The units are summarised in the following table:
	
		
			  Furniture group  Purchased  Re-used  Greenworks 
			 Workstations 1955 665 656 
			 Task Chairs 1955 925 720 
			 Meeting rooms 732 328 360 
			 Pedestals 0 334 308 
			 Business Storage 1,200 481 327 
			 Miscellaneous 522 147 199 
			 Total 6,364 2,880 2,570

Departmental Plants

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on cut flowers in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The purchase of cut flowers has now ceased across the estate. Upon retender of the FM contract, the provision of cut flowers was seen as an area for immediate cost reduction and duly ceased in August 2008.
	The total expenditure for the cut flowers across the Ministry of Justice HQ estate (formerly Department of Constitutional Affairs) between fiscal years, 2006 to 2009 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006-07 13,685.15 
			 2007-08 13,304.73 
			 2008-09 6,113.55

Government Departments: Privacy

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2009,  Official Report, column 871W, on Government Departments: privacy, how many privacy impact assessments for Government projects have been commissioned.

Jack Straw: No central records are kept of the number of privacy impact assessments (PIAs) commissioned by Government Departments. The Data Handling Review mandated that all Government Departments carry out PIAs on new policies affecting privacy; there is no obligation to report these to MoJ.

Offenders: Housing

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what period  (a) hon. Members and  (b) members of the public will have to make representations to agents acting for the National Offender Management Service prior to any purchase of property for subsequent use as housing under accommodation and support services for bail and home detention curfew provision.

David Hanson: It is my practice to write to the appropriate hon. Member when this service is made available in his or her constituency. Planning permission is not required and there is no formal period for representations. For the most part the houses used for this service are leased, not purchased, by the contractor. The houses are the private rented homes of those living in them and it is not appropriate to consult local residents or the wider public. People bailed by the courts or released from prison return to live in the community without hon. Members or the public having any input as to where they may reside. It would be inappropriate and inequitable to identify as defendants or offenders those living at an address rented through ClearSprings when others on bail and home detention curfew living at private addresses are not subject to such identification. The contractor does consult the police, local authority and probation about the location of properties and they are provided with the opportunity to provide comments.
	Hon. Members may write to the contractor at any time and I am always ready to consider representations from hon. Members before or after houses for this service are established in a constituency. The national offender management service, regional offender managers and directors of offender management determine where the contractor is asked to source property. The requirement is defined in terms of towns and boroughs, not by constituency.
	Members of the public are of course free to write at any time to the contractor, to the Ministry of Justice or to myself.

Prisoners Release: Reoffenders

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many mandatory life sentence prisoners released on licence in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available have reoffended, broken down by offences committed.

David Hanson: The only centrally held data on prisoners who reoffend while on licence is in respect of those offenders who are recalled to prison for reoffending. This information is available only from 2003 onwards.
	Our records show that for the period from 1 January 2003 until 17 February 2009, there were 758 releases recorded of mandatory life sentenced prisoners, of which 48 (6.3 per cent.) were recalled and subsequently found guilty of a further offence or offences.
	In addition, we have recorded a further 17 who were released prior to 2003, were recalled over the same period and subsequently found guilty of a further offence or offences.
	This gives a total of 65 mandatory life licences recalled and convicted for further offences from 1 January 2003 to 17 February 2009.
	The offences committed while on licence are listed as follows in order of recall.
	
		
			  Date of release  Date of recall  Further offence 
			 2003 2003 Supplying drugs 
			 2001 2003 Affray 
			 2003 2003 Common assault 
			 2000 2003 Grievous bodily harm 
			 2000 2004 Burglary 
			 2003 2004 Obtaining property by deception 
			 2003 2004 Robbery 
			 2001 2004 Murder 
			 1999 2004 Possession of Firearm 
			 2002 2004 Suspicion of Murder 
			 2004 2004 GBH 
			 2003 2004 Wounding 
			 2003 2005 Robbery 
			 2003 2005 Sexual activity with a minor 
			 2004 2005 Aggravated bodily harm x2 
			 2004 2005 Assault 
			 2004 2005 Driving while disqualified 
			 2004 2005 Theft 
			 2000 2005 Assault occasioning ABH 
			 2004 2005 Burglary 
			 2004 2005 Assault 
			 2005 2005 Rape 
			 2001 2005 Indecent exposure 
			 2004 2005 Public order 
			 2004 2005 Aggravated taking a vehicle without consent/driving under the influence of alcohol 
			 2001 2005 Assault 
			 2004 2005 Public order 
			 2004 2005 Attempted murder/conspiracy to rob/possession of firearm 
			 1998 2005 Common assault 
			 2003 2006 Aggravated taking without consent 
			 2005 2006 Indecent assault x2/rape x2 
			 2005 2006 Threatening behaviour 
			 2005 2006 Incitement to rape x2/abduction 
			 2004 2006 Threats to kill 
			 2003 2006 Going equipped to steal 
			 2004 — Criminal damage 
			 2006 2006 Possession of firearms/drugs 
			 2006 2006 Burglary/common assault 
			 2005 2006 Threats to kill/criminal damage 
			 2003 2006 Making threats 
			 2004 2006 Section 18: wounding 
			 2005 2006 Driving: excess alcohol 
			 1998 2006 Assault 
			 2003 2006 Criminal assault; criminal damage 
			 2003 2006 Evasion of excise duty 
			 2005 2006 Murder 
			 1997 2006 Threats to kill 
			 2005 2006 Criminal damage 
			 2003 2006 Threatened taxi driver with knife 
			 1999 2006 Indecent exposure 
			 1997 2006 Common assault 
			 2004 2007 Drink-driving 
			 2006 2007 Common assault 
			 2001 2007 Driving without insurance/reckless driving 
			 2003 2007 Driving without insurance 
			 2002 2007 Assault 
			 2005 2007 Kidnapping 
			 1998 2007 Benefit fraud 
			 2003 2008 Possession of a bladed article 
			 2005 2008 Burglary 
			 2004 2008 Assault 
			 2008 2008 Possession of a weapon 
			 2006 2008 False imprisonment/theft 
			 2007 2008 Section 39: assault/threats to kill 
			 2007 2008 Common assault 
		
	
	These figures come from a manual National Offender Management Service database and, as with any such recording system, are subject to errors relating to data provided and recorded.

UK Film Industry

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the recent performance of the UK film industry.

Barbara Follett: The United Kingdom's film industry is, I am glad to say, performing very well indeed, box office take was £100 million in January and the three most successful releases last year were British made.
	In addition, British films have had unprecedented success in this year's awards season and I would like to congratulate all the British winners at the Oscars, the Baftas and the golden globes—especially Danny Boyle and all those involved with "Slumdog Millionaire"; and to Kate Winslet. A mention also to Simon Chinn who got best documentary feature for "Man on Wire" (which received substantial funding from the UK film council).
	But, that said, film production fell in the UK during 2008 but we are working closely with the UK film council to ensure better results in 2009.

Horse Racing

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the current economic downturn on the future of horse racing; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government recognise the important contribution of horse-racing to national and local economies and my Department is working closely with the British Horseracing Association and others to monitor the impact of the economic downturn on the industry.
	It is too early to make any assessment of economic trends in relation to horse-racing, but we will continue to monitor the situation as we will do for other sectors for which my Department is responsible.

Gloucester City AFC

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will visit Gloucester City AFC to discuss the relocation of its ground.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have no plans to visit Gloucester City Football Club however I commend the hon. Member for Gloucester for his continued efforts on behalf of the club and for his recent success in securing an adjournment debate on this subject.
	The Department is aware of this issue and I understand Gloucester City Football Club has been working with the Football Association, Gloucester city council and county council to find a permanent home ground for the club.
	Understandably there is a desire for a site to be found in the Gloucester area, not least to preserve local support, so I strongly advise the club to continue its discussions with the city and county councils as they are in the best position to assist in arriving at a positive outcome.

Arts: Government Assistance

Hilary Armstrong: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial support his Department is making available to small and medium-sized enterprises in the creative industries which are in difficulties during the economic slowdown.

Andy Burnham: The Government are providing real help now to small and medium based enterprises which are in difficulties during the economic slowdown, including those within the creative industries.
	Information on the support and advice available to all small and medium based enterprises can be accessed via the portal on the business link website:
	www.businesslink.gov.uk/realhelp
	http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/realhelp
	Support available includes free health checks for businesses, help with accessing finance, and advice on a range of business issues, including cash flow and training.
	Much of the real help on offer is part of solutions for business - the Government's streamlined portfolio of publicly-funded business support products and services, delivered via business link, which provides comprehensive assistance to help companies start, grow and succeed.
	In February 2008 the Government published "Creative Britain: New Talents for the New Economy" which set out 26 commitments to support the creative industries. One of the commitments of Creative Britain has been to look at how Business Link works with the creative industries. It will also produce a framework for evaluation of future work with creative industries, allowing individual business links to monitor their performance which should lead to an improvement of the support given to creative industries businesses by business links. This report will be completed by the end of April.

Departmental Data Protection

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make it his policy for his Department to sign the Information Commissioner's Personal Information Promise.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government welcomed the promise as a commendable initiative to raise awareness of the importance of effective data protection safeguards, particularly for those organisations with no similar commitments already in place.
	The Government take data protection very seriously. Following the Cabinet Office Review of Data Handling Procedures in Government, Departments have implemented a raft of measures to improve data security.
	The Ministry of Justice is considering actively with the Information Commissioner's Office how the promise might add additional value to those measures we have already signed up to. These include the information charters, the recommendations of the data handling review and the Thomas/Walport Review and, of course, our legal obligations under the Data Protection Act and other legislation and regulations.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the answer of 4 June 2008,  Official Report, column 930W, on apprentices, what progress his Department has made towards meeting its share of the Government's commitment to employ over 1,000 apprentices in central Government departments and agencies in 2008-09; and how many apprentices his Department now employs.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, (Sarah McCarthy-Fry) on Tuesday 24 February,  Official Report, column 740-41W.
	The Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency have since registered a further 91 modern apprenticeships giving a Department for Transport total of 175 apprenticeships for the period 2008-09.

Aviation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of his meetings with  (a) BAA on 15 October 2008,  (b) British Airways on 20 October 2008 and  (c) Virgin on 23 October 2008; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of his officials' meetings with  (a) BAA on 26 August 2008,  (b) BAA on 3 September 2008,  (c) BAA on 18 September 2008,  (d) BAA on 3 October 2008,  (e) the Confederation of British Industry on 23 October 2008,  (f) BAA on 6 November 2008,  (g) the Airport Operators Association on 7 November 2008,  (h) BAA on 14 November 2008 and  (i) BAA on 24 November 2008; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of his predecessor's meetings with  (a) BAA on 23 July 2008 and  (b) BAA on 4 September 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 26 February 2009
	It is not the normal practice of the Government to release details of meetings with private individuals or companies.

Departmental Leave

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1384W, on departmental leave, why four out of the seven bargaining units in his Department do not grant disability leave to staff; and what assessment has been made of the compatibility of this practice with his Department's disability equality duties.

Geoff Hoon: Those bargaining units without a specific disability leave policy always give consideration to staff requests for time off for disability related medical appointments and rehabilitation. This is done on a case by case basis. Provision is also available to line managers to permit absence during working hours for rehabilitation, assessment or treatment.
	Consideration is also given to making reasonable adjustments for staff with a disability such as reduced hours or change of working patterns where appropriate to enable them to attend the workplace in line with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

High Speed Two

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the statement of 15 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 359-60, on transport infrastructure, what further steps he has taken to establish High Speed Two; and which individuals he  (a) has approached and  (b) plans to approach to seek their involvement in the company.

Paul Clark: holding answer 27 February 2009
	Britain's transport infrastructure: High Speed Two, published in January 2009, stated that High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd. would draw on resources from Network Rail and the Department for Transport. The process for recruitment of these resources is a matter for the company.

Asylum: HIV Infection

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure that mechanisms for returning failed asylum seekers to their countries, with particular reference to the facilities in immigration removal centres, take account of the needs of HIV-positive people.

Phil Woolas: The UK border agency examines with great care each individual case before detention and removal. They take into account all individual circumstances including, where appropriate, any serious medical conditions or other compassionate circumstances. Consideration is given to fitness to travel and whether the necessary medical treatment is available in the country to which the individual is being returned.
	All UK border agency immigration removal centres have a healthcare team and medical practitioner who are responsible for the care of the physical and mental heath of all those detained, including failed asylum seekers. Detainees who are known to be HIV positive at the point of detention or who are diagnosed as being HIV positive while in detention will receive the appropriate medical care and treatment during their detention.
	Removals are then carried out in accordance with Home Office policy and guidelines, and with every care and consideration to the dignity and health of the individual. Individuals diagnosed as suffering from a particular medical condition which requires ongoing treatment, including HIV, will be accompanied by a suitable medical escort.

Crime: Statistics

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what offences are included in the other miscellaneous offences category in Table 2 in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 01/09, Crime in England and Wales: Quarterly Update to September 2008.

Jacqui Smith: The offences included within 'other miscellaneous offences' are as follows:
	Absconding from lawful custody;
	Adulteration of food;
	Aiding suicide;
	Bail offences;
	Betting, gaming and lotteries;
	Bigamy;
	Blackmail;
	Concealment of birth;
	Customs and Revenue offences;
	Dangerous driving;
	Disclosure, Obstruction, False or Misleading Statements etc.;
	Firearms Acts offences;
	Going equipped for stealing, etc.;
	Health and Safety offences;
	Immigration Act offences;
	Kidnapping;
	Knives Act 1997 offences, relating to the unlawful marketing of knives;
	Libel;
	Obscene publications etc.;
	Other notifiable offences;
	Other offences against the State or public order;
	Perjury;
	Perverting the course of justice;
	Planning laws;
	Possession of firearms offences, relating to gun certification offences;
	Protection from eviction;
	Public health offences;
	Riot;
	Trade descriptions etc.;
	Treason;
	Treason felony;
	Violent disorder.
	Data relating to these individual offence codes is published in the annual bulletins on crime.

Immigration: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals who were last recorded as resident in Peterborough constituency and whose application for indefinite leave to remain had not been allowed have been removed from the UK in each quarter since 1 January 2007; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The requested information is not stored in the format requested and could be obtained only by examination of individual case records and therefore at disproportionate cost.

National Identity Register

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 158W, on the National Identity Register: data protection, what information beyond confirming the validity of data may be provided for the purpose of prevention and detection of crime; and what additional information may be made available for that purpose.

Meg Hillier: The identity information held on the National Identity Register, as listed in section 3 and schedule 1 of the Identity Cards Act 2006, may be provided to the security and intelligence services, police and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and Government Departments where specified in secondary legislation for the purposes, including the prevention and detection of crime, prescribed in section 17 of the Identity Cards Act 2006.

Breast Cancer: Health Services

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much on average was spent on treating a breast cancer patient by each primary care trust in each strategic health authority in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows an estimate of the gross expenditure on cancers and tumours by the national health service in England for all cancer and tumour types, for the last four available financial years. This information was first collected in 2003-04 and is not available for any previous years.
	The table also shows gross expenditure on breast cancer for 2006-07, the first year that this data was collected at sub-category level.
	
		
			  Estimated gross expenditure on cancer and tumours (all types) and on breast cancers and tumours from 2003-04 to 2006-07 
			  £ 
			  Financial year  Gross expenditure on cancers and tumours—all types  Gross expenditure on breast cancers and tumours 
			 2003-04 3,385,750,000 n/a 
			 2004-05 3,773,203,000 n/a 
			 2005-06 4,302,656,000 n/a 
			 2006-07 4,352,460,000 403,807,000 
			  Source:  Department of Health Resource Accounts. 
		
	
	A table showing the gross expenditure on breast cancers and tumours for 2006-07 by each primary care trust has been placed in the Library

Dental Services

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of adults in  (a) North Wiltshire constituency,  (b) Wiltshire and  (c) England received treatment from a dentist under the NHS in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested.
	The proportion of the adult population registered with a national health service dentist in England, as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006 is available in Annex B of the "NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006". Information is provided by primary care trust (PCT) and by strategic health authority (SHA).
	This information is based on the old contractual arrangements which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity.
	Under the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, patients do not have to be registered with an NHS dentist to receive NHS care. The closest equivalent measure to 'registration' is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services ('patients seen') over a 24-month period. However, this is not directly comparable to the registration data for earlier years.
	Information on adult patients seen in the previous 24 months as a percentage of the adult population, in England, is available in Table D5 Annex 3 of the "NHS Dental Statistics, Quarter 2: 30 September 2008" report. Information is available at quarterly intervals, from 31 March 2006 to 30 September 2008 and is provided by PCT and SHA.
	This report has been placed in the Library.
	This information is not available by constituency.

Departmental Data Protection

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy for his Department to sign the Information Commissioner's Personal Information Promise.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government welcomed the promise as a commendable initiative to raise awareness of the importance of effective data protection safeguards, particularly for those organisations with no similar commitments already in place.
	Following the Cabinet Office Review Of Data Handling Procedures in Government, Departments have implemented a raft of measures to improve data security.
	The Ministry of Justice is considering actively with the Information Commissioner's Office how the promise might add additional value to those measures we have already signed up to. These include the information charters, the recommendations of the Data Handling review and the Thomas/Walport review and, of course, our legal obligations under the Data Protection Act and other legislation and regulations.

Departmental Internet

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a copy of his Department's website accessibility plan.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's website accessibility policy and plan is currently in development and will be published by the end of April 2009.
	The Department's website complies with the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C's) Level A guidelines for accessibility. The Government web guidelines published by the Cabinet Office-Central Office of Information require all websites operated by central government departments to be double-A conformant by December 2009.
	Our website accessibility statement is published on our website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Help/DH_062766

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what private finance initiative projects his Department has entered into since 1997; what the total value of each contract was; who the successful contractor was; which projects have been subject to refinancing arrangements; what the monetary value of the refinancing arrangement was in each such case; and what the extent of the clawback has been.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the capital value and estimated revenue payments for the lifetime of each private finance contract as well as the primary contractors (equity stakeholders in the project companies) involved has been placed in the Library.
	Private finance initiative schemes which have been the subject of a refinancing agreement together with details of the value and the extent of the claw back to the NHS trust in each case are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Scheme  Date refinanced  Total refinancing gain (net present values £ million)  Trust's share of refinancing share (percentage)  Trust' s share of refinancing gain (net present values £ million) 
			 Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust May 2002 12.0 30 3.6 
			 Dartford and Gravesham Hospitals NHS trust March 2003 33.4 35 11.7 
			 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust December 2003 115.5 34 29.3 
			 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust February 2004 45.3 31.3 14.2 
			 Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust September 2006 42.2 43 18.3

NHS Foundation Trusts: Land

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether NHS funding allocations to NHS Foundation Trust hospitals take into account the income each trust receives from land sales.

Ben Bradshaw: Revenue allocations are made directly to primary care trusts, not NHS foundation trusts. Capital allocations from the Department require a demonstration of need, and proceeds from land sales are taken in to account when agreeing the financing of a project.

NHS Foundation Trusts: Land

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS Hospital Foundation Trusts have sold land since their establishment; how much was sold in each case; and how much each trust received from the sale.

Ben Bradshaw: We are informed by the chairman of Monitor (the statutory name of which is the independent regulator for NHS foundation trusts (NHS FTs) that his organisation does not receive details or maintain a register of all land disposals by NHS FTs.
	If an NHS FT intends to dispose of land, Monitor will be involved if the land is defined as a protected asset—one required for the delivery of a service commissioned by a primary care trust, or if the disposal qualifies as a major investment.

NHS: Finance

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much and what proportion of the budget of each London  (a) health authority and  (b) foundation trust is expected to be top-sliced to fund debt in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The boards of all 31 primary care trusts (PCTs) in London have agreed in principle to support NHS London's medium term financial strategy, to address long term deficits within some national health service organisations in London. All PCTs, with the exception of those repaying historical deficits, will be contributing on average 0.8 per cent., of their resource baseline in 2009-10 and 0.75 per cent., in 2010-11 as part of the plan.
	This is in line with the 2009-10 operating framework which states that strategic health authorities (SHAs) may determine and agree arrangements locally with their PCTs for the transfer and lodging of resources with the SHA, provided this is within the overall limits of the SHA planned surplus. SHAs will be accountable for the management of this flexibility.
	London NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts will not be contributing any of their income towards NHS London's medium term financial plan.

NHS: Repairs and Maintenance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS is recorded in Estates Return Information Collection data as spending on the reduction of backlog maintenance in each year since 2000-01.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the precise format requested. The amount invested by national health service trusts specially to reduce backlog maintenance costs was first collected through the Estates Returns Information Collection in 2001-02.
	The information which is available is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Total amount of investment to reduce backlog maintenance costs, by NHS trusts in England 
			   £ million 
			 2001-02 296.4 
			 2002-03 402.4 
			 2003-04 426.1 
			 2004-05 (1)274.9 
			 2005-06 (1)230.0 
			 2006-07 (1)216.7 
			 2007-08 (1)301.2 
			 (1) Data collected on a non-compulsory basis. 
		
	
	From 2001-02 to 2003-04 the data was provided on a mandatory basis. However, since 2004-05, NHS trusts have provided the data on a non-compulsory basis, and may therefore not be complete.
	Investment to reduce backlog maintenance will be prioritised locally based on risk assessment, reconfiguration planning and available resources. In addition to the investment specifically to reduce backlog maintenance in buildings which are to remain in NHS use, the major hospital building programme has replaced many existing NHS buildings that had significant levels of backlog maintenance.
	The data is as provided by the NHS and has not been amended centrally. The accuracy and completeness of this data is the responsibility of the provider organisation.

NHS: Repairs and Maintenance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each NHS organisation in England is recorded in Estates Return Information Collection data as spending on reducing its backlog of maintenance in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2007-08; and what organisation code was provided on each occasion that such expenditure was incurred in the period.

Ben Bradshaw: The information has been placed in the Library.
	The amount invested by national health service trusts specifically to reduce backlog maintenance costs is collected through the Estates Returns Information Collection. Since 2004-05, NHS trusts have provided the data on a non-compulsory basis and it may therefore not be complete.
	Investment to reduce backlog maintenance will be prioritised locally based on risk assessment, reconfiguration planning and available resources. In addition to the investment specifically to reduce backlog maintenance in buildings which are to remain in NHS use, the major hospital building programme has replaced many existing NHS buildings that had significant levels of backlog maintenance.
	The data is as provided by the NHS and has not been amended centrally. The accuracy and completeness of this data is the responsibility of the provider organisation.

NHS: Waiting lists

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what each measured waiting list time in each NHS institution serving North Wiltshire constituency was in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: The available data is for inpatient and outpatient waiting times for the national health service trusts and primary care trusts serving North Wiltshire, as at March for each specified year, and are given in the following tables.
	
		
			  Inpatient  and outpatient waiting times— Royal United Hospitals Bath, March 1998 to present 
			   Inpatients  Outpatients 
			   Total waiting  waiting over 26 weeks  waiting over 13 weeks  Total waiting  waiting over 13 weeks  waiting over eight  weeks 
			 March 1998 10,475 3,729 6,515 n/a 449 n/a 
			 March 1999 9,638 3,309 5,851 n/a 654 n/a 
			 March 2000 8,130 3,272 5,326 n/a 1,199 n/a 
			 March 2001 7,667 2,450 4,503 n/a 1,22 n/a 
			 March 2002 9,972 4,075 6,609 n/a 2,007 n/a 
			 March 2003 9,593 2,702 5,725 n/a 1,131 n/a 
			 March 2004 8,226 1,231 4,256 n/a 424 n/a 
			 March 2005 5,547 1,177 2,966 9,248 294 2,241 
			 March 2006 4,374 1 1,824 8,727 0 1,357 
			 March 2007 4,653 8 1535 8148 0 1,379 
			 March 2008 2,081 0 55 6455 0 122 
			 December 2008 2,421 0 57 7735 0 524 
		
	
	
		
			  Inpatien t and outpatient waiting time—  Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust, March 1998 in December 2008 it became Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) March 2008, 
			   Inpatients  Outpatients 
			   Total waiting  waiting over 26 weeks  waiting over 13 weeks  Total waiting  waiting over 13 weeks  waiting over eight weeks 
			 March 1998 6,663 2,390 3,985 n/a 1,407 n/a 
			 March 1999 6,456 2,810 4,394 n/a 2,147 n/a 
			 March 2000 5,820 2,195 3,707 n/a 2,996 n/a 
			 March 2001 5,119 1,356 2,653 n/a 498 n/a 
			 March 2002 5,163 951 2,364 n/a 70 n/a 
			 March 2003 5,446 1,022 2,446 n/a 418 n/a 
			 March 2004 6,733 841 2,931 n/a 89 n/a 
			 March 2005 5,596 329 2,263 6,795 46 1,368 
			 March 2006 5,532 0 1,927 6,531 0 889 
			 March 2007 5,643 0 2337 5,169 0 432 
			 March 2008 3,237 0 231 4,231 0 24 
			 December 2008 3,852 0 37 4,155 0 31 
			  Note:  Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust was in existence until December 2008, it then became the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
		
	
	
		
			  Inpatien t and outpatient waiting time—  West Wiltshire Primary Care Trust (PCT), March 2003 to March 2006 
			   Inpatients  Outpatients 
			   Total waiting  waiting over 26 weeks  waiting over 13 weeks  Total waiting  waiting over 13 weeks  waiting over eight weeks 
			 March 2003 n/a n/a n/a n/a 13 n/a 
			 March 2004 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1 n/a 
			 March 2005 n/a n/a n/a 14 0 0 
			 March 2006 n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 
			  Notes: 1. Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) do not provide any inpatient consultant led activity data. 2. From October 2006, Kennet and North Wiltshire PCT, West Wiltshire PCT and South Wiltshire PCT merged to became Wiltshire PCT 
		
	
	
		
			  Inpatient and  o utpatient waiting times—Kennet and North Wiltshire PCT, March 2003 to March 2006 
			   Inpatients  Outpatients 
			   Total waiting  waiting over 26 weeks  waiting over 13 weeks  Total waiting  waiting over 13 weeks  waiting over eight weeks 
			 March 2003 n/a n/a n/a n/a 12 n/a 
			 March 2004 n/a n/a n/a n/a 2 n/a 
			 March 2005 n/a n/a n/a 74 0 21 
			 March 2006 n/a n/a n/a 0 0 0 
			  Notes: 1. Primary Care Trusts do not provide any inpatient consultant led activity data. 2. From October, 2006 Kennet and North Wiltshire PCT, West Wiltshire PCT and South Wiltshire PCT merged to became Wiltshire PCT 
		
	
	
		
			  Inpatient and  o utpatient waiting times—Wiltshire and Swindon Healthcare NHS Trust, March 2000 to March 2002 
			   Inpatients  Outpatients 
			   Total waiting  waiting over 26 weeks  waiting over 13 weeks  Total waiting  waiting over 13 weeks  waiting over eight weeks 
			 March 2000 12 0 0 n/a 248 n/a 
			 March 2001 7 0 0 n/a 24 n/a 
			 March 2002 0 0 0 n/a 0 n/a 
		
	
	
		
			  Inpatient  and o utpatient waiting times—Wiltshire Healthcare NHS Trust, March 1998 to March 1999 
			   Inpatients  Outpatients 
			   Total waiting  waiting over 26 weeks  waiting over 13 weeks  Total waiting  waiting over 13 weeks  waiting over eight weeks 
			 March 1998 188 0 0 n/a 0 n/a 
			 March 1999 79 0 0 n/a 0 n/a 
		
	
	
		
			  Inpatient and o utpatient waiting times - East Wiltshire Healthcare NHS Trust, March 1998 to March 1999 
			   Inpatients  Outpatients 
			   Total waiting  waiting over 26 weeks  waiting over 13 weeks  Total waiting  waiting over 13 weeks  waiting over eight weeks 
			 March 1998 n/a n/a n/a n/a 120 n/a 
			 March 1999 n/a n/a n/a n/a 5 n/a 
			  Note: Prior to 2004, only the number of outpatients waiting over 13 weeks were collected. 
		
	
	
		
			  Outpatient waiting times—Wiltshire Primary Care Trust, March 2007 to present 
			   Inpatients  Outpatients 
			   Total waiting  waiting over 26 weeks  waiting over 13 weeks  Total waiting  waiting over 13 weeks  waiting over eight weeks 
			 March 2007 n/a n/a n/a 2 — 1 
			 March 2008 n/a n/a n/a 5 0 0 
			 December 2008 n/a n/a n/a 32 0 0 
			  Notes: 1. Wiltshire PCT came into existence in October 2006, outpatient waiting times data is available from March 2007 to present. 2. Primary Care Trusts do not provide any inpatient consultant led activity data. 3. South Wiltshire Primary Care Trust is not included, as it did not provide outpatient or inpatient services.  Source:  Monthly monitoring return and KH07 quarterly return

Patients

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of discharge letters which were received by GPs  (a) two,  (b) three,  (c) four,  (d) six,  (e) 10 and  (f) 12 weeks after the patients were discharged from hospital in (i) Westmorland and Lonsdale, (ii) Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust area and (iii) England.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally. You may wish to contact your local NHS organisations for further information.

Thalidomide: Health Services

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with the Thalidomide Trust on health care for people affected by thalidomide in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has had no discussions with the Thalidomide Trust on health care for people affected by Thalidomide.
	The trust has declined a recent offer of a meeting with Department officials to discuss health and social care support for those affected by Thalidomide.

Departmental Databases

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 13 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1303-04W, on departmental databases, what ACORN codes were used to help identify the postcode sectors in the 50 local authorities referred to in the answer.

Jonathan R Shaw: The ACORN codes that were used to help identify the postcode sectors within the 50 local authorities referred to in the answer of 13 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1303-04W, are all within category 5 of ACORN: Group N, Group O, Group P, Group Q.

European Globalisation Fund

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2009,  Official Report, column 422W, on EU grants and loans, when the European Globalisation Fund was established; what payments the Government has made to the fund; which EU member states have made applications for matched funding from the fund; which of these have been approved and for what purposes; how much has been paid out from the fund to date; what criteria govern the sources of matched funds; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: In his answer of 5 February 2009,  Official Report, column 422W, my hon. Friend stated that the European globalisation fund draws on the EU budget where there may be underspends or decommitted funds. This means that Governments do not make additional payments into the fund.
	Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal and Spain have had EGF applications approved, totalling €67,646,697. Germany, Portugal and Spain have further applications still to be determined, totalling €14,621,200.
	All these applications are for active labour market measures, including training, to reintegrate back into the labour market workers who lost their jobs as a result of a large scale redundancy, of at least 1,000 redundancies. This forms the main criteria for use of the fund.
	More detailed information is in the EGF Regulation of 20 December 2006 and the Commission Communication on the EGF in 2007—Review and Prospects—published on 2 July 2008. Both were deposited in the Library. The Commission have also placed these on the Europa website, along with advice and guidance on using the EGF.

Jobcentre Plus

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of the report by Lesley Strathie, chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, to which he referred in his speech on 25 June 2008 at the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion Conference.

Tony McNulty: The Report "Review of Adviser Discretion" has been placed in the Library.

New Deal for Young People

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were referred to the New Deal for Young People before they had been on jobseeker's allowance for six months in each quarter since the programme was introduced, broken down by reason for early referral.

Tony McNulty: Information on the reason for early referral is not available. The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  New Deal for Young People—Starters with the early entrant indicator 
			  Quarter ending  Number 
			  1998  
			 February(1) 1,510 
			 May 9,450 
			 August 10,810 
			 November 9,100 
			   
			  1999  
			 February 7,990 
			 May 8,520 
			 August 9,080 
			 November 8,750 
			   
			  2000  
			 February 8,730 
			 May 8,090 
			 August 7,750 
			 November 7,180 
			   
			  2001  
			 February 8,090 
			 May 8,030 
			 August 8,630 
			 November 8,480 
			   
			  2002  
			 February 7,320 
			 May 9,990 
			 August 9,370 
			 November 9,230 
			   
			  2003  
			 February 9,590 
			 May 9,540 
			 August 9,820 
			 November 9,060 
			   
			  2004  
			 February 8,820 
			 May 8,910 
			 August 8,850 
			 November 8,510 
			   
			  2005  
			 February 8,850 
			 May 9,000 
			 August 8,010 
			 November 7,010 
			   
			  2006  
			 February 7,480 
			 May 7,700 
			 August 7,270 
			 November 6,980 
			   
			  2007  
			 February 7,800 
			 May 8,350 
			 August 8,840 
			 November 7,350 
			   
			  2008  
			 February 8,470 
			 May 9,000 
			 August 9,590 
			 November 9,180 
			   
			 Total 370,070 
			 (1) Figure is for January to February 1998.  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. The New Deal for Young People pilots began in January 1998 and full national roll-out occurred in April 1998. Latest data is to November 2008.  3. Early entrants are estimated to be those participants who join New Deal for Young People before reaching six months unemployed. 4. This information is available at our website link http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/tabtool_nd.asp   Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate.

Personal Accounts

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate to the nearest whole pound the weekly pension income from a personal accounts pension for a single person auto-enrolling into a personal account in 2012 at the age of  (a) 22,  (b) 32,  (c) 42 and  (d) 52, earning a salary of (i) £11,500, (ii) £12,500, (iii) £13,500, (iv) £14,500, (v) £15,500, (vi) £16,500, (vii) £17,500, (viii) £18,500, (ix) £19,500, (x) £20,500, (xi) £21,500 and (xii) £22,500 which rises annually during their career each year in line with earnings, where that person stopped working at 68, annuitised at 68, and had no savings other than a personal account pension pot.

Rosie Winterton: The following table shows the expected gross weekly private pension and total net weekly income for a male in the age and earnings groups requested.
	
		
			  Retirement income for an individual who starts saving in 2012 
			  £ 
			   Age in 2012 
			   22  32 
			  Salary in 2012  Gross private pension income  Net total income )  Gross private pension income  Net total income 
			 £11,500 24 186 17 181 
			 £12,500 28 189 20 183 
			 £13,500 31 191 23 185 
			 £14,500 35 195 26 188 
			 £15,500 39 198 29 190 
			 £16,500 43 201 32 193 
			 £17,500 47 204 35 196 
			 £18,500 51 207 37 198 
			 £19,500 55 210 40 201 
			 £20,500 59 213 43 203 
			 £21,500 63 216 46 206 
			 £22,500 66 219 49 208 
		
	
	
		
			  £ 
			   Age in 2012 
			   42  52 
			  Salary in 2012  Gross private pension income )  Net total income  Gross private pension income  Net total income 
			 £11,500 12 169 7 164 
			 £12,500 14 172 8 165 
			 £13,500 16 174 9 167 
			 £14,500 18 177 10 168 
			 £15,500 20 180 11 170 
			 £16,500 22 182 12 172 
			 £17,500 24 185 14 175 
			 £18,500 25 187 15 178 
			 £19,500 27 190 16 181 
			 £20,500 29 192 17 183 
			 £21,500 31 195 18 185 
			 £22,500 33 197 19 188 
			  Note : These examples assume an annual management charge of 0.5 per cent., standard assumptions about factors such as investment growth and a lifestyled fund and phasing of contributions over a three year period. The whole of the pension pot is annuitised using RPI linked annuities, assuming the annuitant is male. Individuals are assumed to start working at the age of 22, with a state pension age of 68 and to contribute 5 per cent. (including tax relief) of their qualifying earnings and to receive 3 per cent. of their qualifying earnings from their employer. Net total income is total retirement income after tax for private pension income, basic state pension, second state pension and income related benefits. Figures are in 2008-09 earnings terms

Winter Fuel Payments: Chronically Sick

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's estimate is of the cost of extending the winter fuel allowance to terminally ill people who would not otherwise qualify, excluding the one-off additional payment of £50 for 2008-09.

Rosie Winterton: Winter fuel payments are made to people aged 60 or over including those who are disabled or terminally ill. The heating costs of terminally ill people arise throughout the year, not just in winter and disability living allowance provides additional weekly financial support of up to £5,915 a year related to an individual's circumstances.
	The latest available data suggests that the annual cost of extending winter fuel payments to people aged under 60 in receipt of disability living allowance under the special rules applicable to people who are terminally ill and not expected to live for more than six months is estimated to be about £5 million. This is an estimate for 2008-09 and is based on a £200 payment, which excludes the one off additional payment of £50 for this year.
	It is not possible to determine how many of the estimated beneficiaries live in a household that would already be entitled to a winter fuel payment.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to reply to Question 248845, on benefit payments to persons subject to control orders, tabled by the hon. Member for Newark on 13 January 2009.

Tony McNulty: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 23 February 2009,  Official Report , column 88W.

Child Minding

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to increase the annual fee for child minders on  (a) the Early Years Register and  (b) the Ofsted Childcare Register.

Beverley Hughes: Following our consultation "Childcare Act 2006: Future Approach to Fees and Subsidies" we announced in June 2008 increases to the Early Years Register fees, for child minders from £25 in 2008/09 to £30 in 2009/10 and £35 in 2010/11. There are no plans to increase fees for the voluntary or compulsory parts of the General Childcare Register in 2009.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1322W, on departmental public expenditure, how much of the £800 million capital spending to be brought forward will be spent in each local authority area; what projects the money will be spent on; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Applications from local authorities are currently being considered, and we will make an announcement shortly.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1730-32W, on special educational needs, if he will provide a breakdown of the figures given by  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information is provided in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary and secondary schools: Number of pupils( 1,2) —position in January each year 2004-08—England 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			  Maintained primary schools( 3)  
			 Number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals and have statemented special educational needs 18,180 17,120 15,600 14,730 14,050 
			 Number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals and have non-statemented special educational needs 198,760 196,160 191,960 193,730 194,090 
			 Number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals and were children in care 2,660 2,760 2,600 2,550 2,420 
			 Number of pupils who had statemented special educational needs and were children in care 1,520 1,600 1,460 1,520 1,500 
			 Number of pupils who had non-statemented special educational needs and were children in care 5,880 5,980 5,830 6,320 6,350 
			 Number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals, had statemented special educational needs and were children in care 230 240 210 190 200 
			 Number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals, had non-statemented special educational needs and were children in care 1,500 1,530 1,350 1,360 1,320 
			   
			  Maintained secondary schools( 3)  
			 Number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals and have statemented special educational needs 21,230 19,860 18,430 16,840 15,190 
			 Number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals and have non-statemented special educational needs 123,340 125,410 130,430 132,240 136,510 
			 Number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals and were children in care 2,110 2,310 2,470 2,360 2,300 
			 Number of pupils who had statemented special educational needs and were children in care 1,700 1,850 2,170 2,280 2,210 
			 Number of pupils who had non-statemented special educational needs and were children in care 4,760 5,310 6,400 7,270 7,730 
			 Number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals, had statemented special educational needs and were children in care 230 250 250 250 220 
			 Number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals, had non-statemented special educational needs and were children in care 930 1,050 1,160 1,150 1,190 
			 (1) Includes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils. (2) All pupils aged 5-19. (3) Includes middle schools as deemed.  Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Banks: Iceland

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the authorities in Iceland on payments to UK depositors in Icelandic banks; what assessment he has made of the position of these depositors in respect of compensation for monies lost; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Icelandic government on Icelandic banks in respect of UK depositors and creditors.

Ian Pearson: The Government have taken urgent action to protect the interests of UK depositors in Icelandic banks and are actively pursuing a full resolution. The Government have and will continue to ensure that Parliament and the public are updated on developments as and when possible, without compromising negotiations with the Icelandic government.
	The Chancellor, along with the Governor of the Bank of England and the chairman of the FSA, gave details of discussions related to Icelandic banking situation to the Common's Treasury committee on 3 November 2008.
	The Government continue to work closely with the Icelandic authorities to ensure the fair treatment for UK depositors and creditors.

Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who regulates Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander's (KSF's) activities in the UK; what steps  (a) the Government and  (b) other regulatory bodies have taken in relation to KSF assets in the last six months; what those assets were valued at (i) 1 September 2008 and (ii) the latest date for which figures are available; what compensation arrangements apply to (A) individuals, (B) local authorities and (C) other public bodies who have lost funds deposited in KSF; and what the relationship is between KSF and KSF Isle of Man.

Ian Pearson: Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander Ltd. (KSF), a UK subsidiary of Kaupthing Bank hf, is incorporated under English law and regulated by the FSA.
	On 8 October 2008, the FSA concluded that Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander Ltd. no longer met threshold conditions and was in default for the purposes of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The Treasury, using an order under the Banking (Special Provisions) Act 2008, transferred KSF's deposit book of "Kaupthing Edge" accounts to ING Direct. The Government also committed to paying out in full FSCS eligible depositors whose accounts were not transferred.
	The remainder of KSF's business was subsequently placed into administration following due legal process. The administrators are responsible for managing the remainder of KSF's business and loan book to maximise recovery for creditors. The administrators will continue to deal with the assets in compliance with insolvency law and the provisions of the transfer order (including those provisions of the transfer order which confer certain limited functions on the Treasury in relation to the assets of KSF). Those depositors that are ineligible for FSCS compensation will be creditors of the bank in the normal way and paid out in accordance with UK insolvency procedures.
	Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander (Isle of Man) (KSF IoM) is not a subsidiary of KSF in the UK, but of the Icelandic parent company.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 20 October 2008, on behalf of Miss Y. Buckoke, which was acknowledged by his Department with the reference PO REF: 1/61949/2008;
	(2)  when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 15 October 2008, on behalf of Mr J. Harris, which was acknowledged by his Department with the reference PO REF: 1/6198/2008;
	(3)  when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 27 October 2008 on behalf of Mr Richard Pointing, which was acknowledged by his Department with the reference PO REF: 1/62375/2008;
	(4)  when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon, of 3 November 2008, regarding the Lloyds TSB/HBOS merger sent on behalf of Ryan Collier, acknowledged by his Department with the reference PO REF: 1/63282/2008;
	(5)  when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon, of 11 November 2008, regarding Icesave, sent on behalf of Rik Artrill, acknowledged by his Department with the reference PO REF: 1/63121/2008.

Ian Pearson: Due to the large volume of correspondence received on these issues there has been a delay in sending some responses. The Financial Services Secretary hopes to be in a position to reply to the hon. Member shortly.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon, of 17 November 2008, sent on behalf of Chris Bolton, regarding HM Revenue and Customs, acknowledged by his Department with the reference PO REF: 1/63353/2008.

Stephen Timms: I replied to the hon. Member on 23 December.

Saving Gateway Accounts

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of extending the availability of Saving Gateway accounts to recipients of carer's allowance.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the comments I made on the floor of the House on 25 February 2009,  Official Report, column 296.

Valuation Office: Databases

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 20 November 2008,  Official Report, column 776W, on the Valuation Office: reorganisation, whether the Valuation Office Agency will be able to use property data previously held by the Rent Service for council tax valuations once the transfer of functions has taken place.

Stephen Timms: The extent to which the VOA can use property data held by the Rent Service for council tax valuations is unaffected by the transfer of the Rent Service.

Energy Supply: Research

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much the Government are spending on  (a) nuclear fusion research and  (b) research into renewables in 2008-09.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Innovation Universities and Skills provides funding to the Technology Strategy Board and the research councils. The Technology Strategy Board estimate of expenditure on applied research and development into renewables to date during 2008-09 is £10.9 million. The research councils' estimated expenditure on research and related training in 2008-09 is:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Nuclear fusion(1) 35.7 
			 Renewables(2) 37 
			 (1 )Includes underspend carried over from 2007-08 and a payment for some work carried out in 2007-08. (2 )NB Incomplete as data are not available from all councils. Includes research on networks and energy storage. 
		
	
	In addition, the research councils are providing funding of £13.88 million over the period 2004-09 for the UK Energy Research Centre (which undertakes a range of research relating to sustainable energy, including renewables), and energy is included in the work of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research (which has some £15.8 million funding from the research councils over 2000-08). The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Technology Strategy Board also provide funding to the Energy Technologies Institute, which is establishing a portfolio of development projects in low carbon energy technologies, including renewables.
	The Carbon Trust, which receives funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, estimate expenditure of £4.1 million in 2008-09 on research into renewables.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire dated 2 December 2008 on cancer patients' fuel bills.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 9 February 2009
	I replied to the hon. Member on 23 February and apologise for the delay, which was due to departmental reorganisation.

Nuclear Power: Consultants

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 1431-2W, on nuclear power: consultants, what the total monetary value is of the contracts with each of the consultants engaged in connection with the generic design assessment.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has engaged a range of external bodies and individuals to assist it with various technical aspects, process assurance and organisation of generic design assessment. The value, in connection with the Generic Design Assessment, of existing contracts is as follows:
	
		
			   GDA cost (£) 
			  Contractors: (listed in columns 1431W)  
			 IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) 229,879.00 
			 Washington E and C Ltd 70,000.00 
			 EPRI 57,144.00 
			 Health Protection agency (formerly NRPB) 16,564.40 
			 Morson International 14,000.00 
			 Imperial College London 800.00 
			 OECD-NEA 352,312.84 
			 AMEC NNC 19,314.00 
			 Atkins Nuclear 22,483.02 
			   
			  Other contractors (used since)  
			 DYCODA, LLC 10,000.00 
			 Jacobsen Engineering Ltd 104,400.00 
			 Serco Assurance 59,975.00 
			 University of Liverpool 2,605.81 
			 VTT Technical Research Centre Finland 66,600.00 
			   
			  Process review board: (column 1432W)  
			 David Hughes 12,500.00 
			 John Raine 15,016.00 
			 Bernard Whittle 12,155.00 
			 Phillip Woodward 12,155.00 
			   
			  Project assurance officer: (column 1432W)  
			 James Furness 29,500.00 
		
	
	Not included are Technical Support Contractors (TSC) for GDA that are still pending. In line with the GDA Delivery plan, TSC costs will increase significantly in the next two years. Requesting Parties are aware of potential costs and receive annual estimates that are also updated quarterly.
	Values in table are contract values not annual costs.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to his Department's press release of 7 January 2009, on additional apprentices, how many of the 35,000 additional apprenticeship places for 2009-10 are additional to those referred to in his Department's press release of 8 December 2008.

Si�n Simon: The volume of apprenticeships we planned for 2009-10 were set out in my Department's grant letter of 18 November 2008 to the Learning and Skills Council.
	All the 35,000 apprenticeship places announced on 7 January 2009 are additional to these planned volumes. Our press release of 8 December 2008 highlighted high street companies that are expanding their apprenticeship programmes and therefore helping us towards our ambitions for significant growth in the apprenticeship programme. Clearly, we will need to explore whether these companies and other employers, both large and small, across the public, private and third sectors can do more to help us provide extra places. Our national advertising campaign which started this week and the new National Apprenticeship Service will promote the value of apprenticeships to employers to ensure we deliver jobs and training for young people and adults. This will build further on the record number of apprenticeship starts and completions delivered last year; the best since 1997.
	Since 1997 we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 65,000 to a record 225,000 apprenticeship starts in 2007-08. Completion rates are also at a record high with 64 per cent. successfully completing an apprenticeshipup from 37 per cent. in 2004-05.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which ICT projects initiated by his Department since its inception have been abandoned before completion; what costs were incurred on each project; who the contractors were; what the date of  (a) commencement and  (b) abandonment was in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: DIUS is a new Department established in June 2007 substantially from parts of the former DTI and DfES. As far as we are aware, since June 2007 the Department has not abandoned any information technology projects.
	No information technology projects were abandoned in the last five years for those functions brought over into DIUS from the former DTI.
	It is not possible, without exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold, to determine if any information technology projects were abandoned in the last five years for those functions brought over into DIUS from the former DfES.

Education: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many submissions for capital projects were considered at the 17 December 2008 meeting of the Learning and Skills Council's National Council; and how many were applications in  (a) principle and  (b) detail;
	(2)  which  (a) further education and  (b) sixth form colleges made submissions for capital projects which were considered at the 17 December 2008 meeting of the Learning and Skills Council's National Council; and which of those submissions were applications in (i) principle and (ii) detail.

Si�n Simon: Capital funding for further education colleges is administrated by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Mark Haysom, the LSC Chief Executive will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Libraries.

English Language: Education

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many courses in English for speakers of other languages paid for from the public purse were  (a) started and  (b) completed in each of the last five years.

Si�n Simon: Table 1 following shows participation and achievements in Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funded courses in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) for 2004/05 to 2007/08. The data prior to 2004/05 is calculated on a slightly different basis to these figures and has not been provided.
	
		
			  Table 1: Participation and achievements in LSC-funded courses in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), 2004/05 to 2007/08 
			   Participation  Achievements 
			 2004/05 111,500 31,500 
			 2005/06 143,300 82,500 
			 2006/07 164,400 101,800 
			 2007/08 (provisional) 165,700 109,300 
			  Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Figures in this table are a count of the number of learners that participated at any point during the year. Learners undertaking more than one course are counted only once for each data collection. However, learners that are included in different data collections, whether that relates to different years or different funding streams will be counted more than once. 3. Final data for 2007/08 will be published in March 2009.  Source: FE, Ufl, WBL and ASL Individualised Learning Records

Train to Gain Programme: Darlington

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people living in Darlington constituency have participated in the Train to Gain programme in each of the last three years.

Si�n Simon: Table 1 following shows the number of Train to Gain starts in the parliamentary constituency of Darlington, in each academic year from 2005/06 to 2007/08.
	
		
			  Table 1: Train to Gain s tarts in 2005/06 to 2007/08 
			   Darlington constituency  All Train to Gain starts 
			 2005/06 100 32,400 
			 2006/07 460 206,300 
			 2007/08 620 331,800 
			  Notes: 1. Parliamentary constituency is based on learner's home postcode. 2. Numbers for Leeds West have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Numbers for England have been rounded to the nearest 100. 4. Train to Gain was created in April 2006. Therefore, figures for 2005/06 only include the months of April to July 2006.  Source: WBL ILR 
		
	
	Train to Gain is the key service for supporting employers to invest in the future productivity and profitability of their businesses by investing in the skills of their employees. Train to Gain offers quality-assured, impartial advice from skills brokers, to help identify the business' skills needs at all levels and make the right, informed choices.

Bankruptcy

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) bankruptcy orders and  (b) individual voluntary agreements were recorded in (i) Winchester, (ii) Hampshire and (iii) England in each of the last three years.

Patrick McFadden: Table 1 as follows shows the number of  (a) bankruptcy orders and  (b) individual voluntary arrangements recorded in (i) Winchester, (ii) Hampshire and (iii) England in each of the last three years. Regional figures are not yet available for 2008.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			2005  2006  2007 
			 Bankruptcy orders Winchester 99 107 113 
			  Hampshire 1,809 2,334 2,179 
			  England 43,023 57,481 59,114 
			  
			 Individual voluntary arrangements Winchester 32 88 84 
			  Hampshire 848 1,732 1,707 
			  England 18,537 40,635 39,084 
			  Notes:  1. Classifying insolvent individuals into administrative geographies is done using the postcode that the person provides.  2. Inaccurate or missing postcodes mean that the numbers in the table will be subject to an element of missing data. Nationally, this proportion has been decreasing from about 12 per cent. in 2000 to less than 4 per cent. in 2007.  3. Figures for Hampshire include Isle of Wight.

Greater Manchester

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1311W, on departmental official visits, how much the agency which deals with overnight accommodation for his Department charged for hotel accommodation costs in Manchester on 7 January 2009.

Patrick McFadden: 129 per night.

Keep Our Future Afloat Campaign

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, column 722W, on the Keep our Future Afloat campaign, to which bodies the North West Regional Development Agency provided funding to be used by the Keep our Future Afloat campaign.

Patrick McFadden: The north west regional development agency (NWDA) funding in support of Keep our Future Afloat Campaign (KOFAC) was paid direct to Furness Enterprise Limited who acted as Secretariat for KOFAC. Those funds were subsequently paid to the shipyard unions for KOFAC activity to attract naval jobs to the region outlined in my previous response to the right hon. Member on 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 454W.

Ofcom: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when the Chief Executive of Ofcom will reply to the hon. Member for Weston-Super-Mare's letters of 15 October 2008, 28 November 2008 and 5 January 2009 on behalf of his constituent, Mr Nicholas Carey-Harris.

Patrick McFadden: The Office of Communications (Ofcom) has informed me that they responded to the hon. Member's correspondence on 10 February 2009. I understand they also contacted him to explain and apologise for the delay.

10 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 467W, on 10 Downing Street: repairs and maintenance, on what date the works in 10 Downing Street associated with Westminster City Council planning application reference 08/00696/1884 were  (a) started and  (b) completed.

Kevin Brennan: The work was carried out during August and September 2008.

10 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Norwood of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 467W, on Downing Street: repairs and maintenance, 
	(1)  which external contractors were used to undertake the works in 10 Downing Street associated with Westminster City Council planning application reference 08/00696/1884;
	(2)  what the estimated budget for the works in 10 Downing Street associated with Westminster City Council planning application reference 08/00696/1884 was before commencement of the works.

Kevin Brennan: The procurement of facilities services across the Cabinet Office estate is provided by the total Facilities Management provider for the Cabinet Office. Expenditure figures for 2008-09 will be available after the end of the financial year, once the Cabinet Office accounts have been audited.

Departmental Video Recordings

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 745-6W, on departmental video recordings, how much expenditure the Cabinet Office incurred in payments to each company in the last 12 months; and what the  (a) title and  (b) purpose of the video produced was in each case.

Tom Watson: The Department has not used any of the companies on the list provided by the chief executive of the Central Office of Information.

Government Departments: Internet

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent on transformational government projects in each year since 2005.

Tom Watson: We do not hold this information centrally. However, in relation to the Cabinet Office's ICT expenditure I refer the hon. and Learned Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Cardiff, Central (Jenny Willott) on 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 392W. More widely, the Cabinet Office publishes an annual report on Transformational Government which contains summary information about expenditure across Government Departments represented on the CIO Council. The reports for 2006 and 2007 can be found online on the CIO website:
	www.cio.gov.uk
	and copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

Ministerial Policy Advisors

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 13 January 2009,  Official Report, column 582W, which expert advisers other than those formally appointed as special advisers have been commissioned by his Department since June 2007.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested is not held centrally and cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.

Private Detectives

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2009,  Official Report, column 873W, on private detectives, on how many occasions since January 2003 individuals from the panel of independent investigators have been used to undertake internal investigations; and how long each such investigation lasted.

Tom Watson: It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on the conduct of leak investigations.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2009 to the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, what modifications will be made to the Merlin helicopters; and which company he expects to undertake such modifications.

John Hutton: We will provide our Merlin helicopters with modifications appropriate to the environmental conditions and hostile threats which the Merlin force is likely to encounter in Afghanistan. These modifications will include the fitting of improved rotor blades to allow the aircraft to operate in hot and high conditions and changes to the aircraft's defensive aids suite. Details of this equipment is being withheld as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
	All procurement will be undertaken by AgustaWestland as the prime contractor.

Armed Forces: Training

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Department's Minute of 17 February 2009, concerning a contingent liability for the costs associated with the Defence Training Review which was laid before the House on that date, if he will refrain from incurring the liability described in the Minute until  (a) the Public Accounts Committee and  (b) the Defence Committee have completed their consideration of the matter.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 27 February 2009
	Copies of the departmental minute were provided to the Clerks of the House of Commons Defence Committee and the Public Accounts Committee on 17 February in accordance with established procedures. It is the MOD's normal practice when laying a departmental minute concerning a contingent liability to provide copies to the two Committees to ensure that they have ample opportunity to raise any issues with Ministers if they wish.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will break down his Department's Spring Supplementary Estimates 2009-10 on the same basis as in the answer of 14 July 2008 to the hon. Member for Aldershot,  Official Report, column 167W, on departmental public expenditure.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.